My parents were never too crazy about Halloween, so for many years they bribed us with the Great Pumpkin. Specifically, if we would agree to not trick-or-treating we could go out to dinner and then to Toys-R-Us to pick out a toy of our choosing. It wasn't a bad deal actually, since we usually got something way nicer than a sack of candy, and I'm sure my parents were glad to avoid the sugar kid-insanity.
Anyway, off to eat pizza and watch Charlie Brown. Happy Halloween!

ever notice how fall rolls around and all of a sudden spiders and bugs want to make your home their home too? so last night we are watching tv and notice a black spot. on close inspection we found a friendly neighborhood spider had somehow managed to crawl INSIDE the tv and was just hanging out on the screen. wonder if he'll get zapped or manage to find a way out so the cats can have a tasty treat.

spider watching tv, from the inside

bigger tv shot with spider in lower left corner

we all have them.... Automatic Negative Thoughts, or ANTs'. kinda like ROUS', except these rodents of unusual size exist within our brains. The current ANTs stomping their way across my brain are:
I hate writing papers. I hate writing papers. I hate writing papers.
I am not happy about going to work today.
My house isn't clean. I'm a domestic failure.

its time to SQUISH some ANTs!

Mush for Brains

need I say more?
have a good night.

needless worry

today i am having a needless worry day. i just feel worried but can't pinpoint why. maybe it has something to do with having to write yet another paper. maybe it is because i took a 'mental health' day off from church. maybe it is because tyler is at work and my house is too quiet and my mind is playing tricks on me. maybe it is because i am starting another busy week and i'm not ready, and i'm procrastinating getting work done. or, opposite that, maybe it is because i had such a crazy week and now that i can relax a little bit my feelings are catching up to me. maybe it is because i am wearing fuzzy pink and white slippers.
who knows. its just one of those days.

In honor of Halloween, I give you:

THE GREMLIN
(aka my nephew Beckham)

avoidance

it's midterms, and i have a million things due. so, when my professor let's us out almost an hour early and I have a 2 1/2 hour break before my next class, how do i spend my time?

having my nails done, of course.

disclaimer for friends who may think i have lost it:
this is actually my first time having my nails done EVER, so no worries about my loyalties. with that said, i will do almost ANYTHING to avoid homework, even engage in dark and sinister beautification.

you've been warned...

thanks, Kristen for letting me know my hyperlink for this story wasn't working, it's fixed now. :) also, should have mentioned in the last email that the story i referenced is found on feminist mormon housewives. fmh is a pretty liberal blog, so explore at your own risk. (i personally love it, but totally understand that it isn't everyone's cup of tea.... oops, i mean hot chocolate).

Thank you!

thanks to all my awesome friends for some great blog names. many of them i plan on using as my whims and moods change. sometimes, i feel like i am a one man HazMat Response Team. other times, i feel that this whole process shows How Mentally Retarded This is (although so not a PC phrase, ahem). i hope sometimes i have Hip Musings and Refreshing Thoughts. right now, i am feeling philosophical, and so this new title represents where i am today. as a wife, graduate student, intern / employee, relief society counselor, family member, friend, etc. i am constantly being lead down new roads and iam learning every day. i appreciate all of you for being who you are and traveling with me.
hannah

social work moment: i thought this story was great and wanted to share.

This Weekend

I did this:

a 3-mile walk around 3rd street and the pier with professionals and consumers, raising money and awareness for mental illness. thanks to all those who sponsered my walk!!


And this:homework, homework, homework.... i have three papers due and a test all within the next two weeks. ah, the joys of mid-terms in graduate school.


And a little bit of this:


actually, i pretty much missed all of saturday and am having a hard time focusing today (see homework explanation above), so my plan is to download all the audio tonight, burn them on CDs and listen as I am commuting this week. Much better use of my time than NPR, right?

New Post, Old Friends

In three hours, my D.H. is going to Utah this weekend to see his brothers:

Rhett (middle) is going on a mission to St. Louis, MI in December and I thought it would be a nice surprise to buy Tyler a plane ticket home for conference weekend (priesthood session with the bros has always been a tradition).

As I was cleaning off the camera to give to Ty, I came across my 10 year high school reunion photos.

ashley and yours truly
serina, me, marissa, cierra, heather, colleen

So much fun to catch up with old friends :)

Repeat Post

Sorry to all my LA friends for the repetitiveness from Kristen's blog, but I loved this so much I wanted to continue to spread the Buffy and Clark Kent Joy:

Buffy/Smallville video!

Warning: The ultimate in TV geekiness :)